Totnes Therapy

This weekend, I planned a trip to Totnes to ensure that I didn't mentally nose dive like the beginning of May.  As I was in Plymouth on Friday seeing my team, my mini-holiday started with drinks with a dear friend sitting in the sun overlooking Plymouth Sound.  He was amused as his granddaughter was sending him jokes from her new joke book, and the one she sent Friday evening was "how do you make a pirate cross?" (answer at end of the blog). He was very excited when HMS DIAMOND came past as he had been at its inauguration.

I then took the train to Totnes, checked into my AirBnB and had supper at the wonderful Tamarind Tree.

On Saturday my treat was a Round Robin with the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat company.  I set off in Totnes and had a wonderful cruise down the Dart.  I do so need to get on the water at times and the pilot's commentary was hilarious!  I'd found a map in advance so used this to check our route as we headed south.

It was so lovely!

As we neared Dartmouth we saw the Britannia Royal Navy College Dartmouth, and then and Dartmouth itself.

I managed to coincide with Dartmouth's music festival so, once I'd found a Ruth-scrummy lunch of frittata and salad, sat and listened to live jazz in the sun reading the Guardian.  Not too shabby at all.

I was also fascinated by the Dartmouth to Kingswear car ferry.   I hadn't realised that the ferry is propelled by tugs.  What amazing skill to drive a boat that pushes a ferry - hats off to those pilots.

My Round Robin was a river boat to Dartmouth, then a foot ferry to Kingswear, steam train to Paignton and bus to Totnes.  This was the ferry to Kingswear (another boat - how exciting!).

When I got to Kingswear I found old ground, as I'd passed by here on the South West Coast Path.  

However, last time I walked out of here - so taking the train was a treat. I'd never been on this line before and there was lots of nostalgia with the old train compartments. I fully expected Poirot to stroll past at one stage.

We arrived in Paignton and any nostalgia swiftly vanished.  I wandered around briefly, tried to find a benchmark, then waited for the bus.  This turned out to be an open topped bus - how exciting! I sat at the back as we trundled our way through beautiful South Hams back to Totnes.

Walking up from the bus stop through Totnes gave me a chance to enjoy the wonderful architecture.  Apparently, Totnes has the highest percentage of listed buildings in any town in the UK, and I can see why.

Supper was at Ben's Wine and Tapas bar which was super lovely but, yet another business succumbing to high bills and lack of staff availability - I caught it on its last night.

On Sunday I found an amazing egg/spinach fest breakfast at the wonderful Lighthouse Cafe then made my way home via Exeter St Davids.  A really lovely weekend, very salad filled (which makes me realise that's all I need to eat in life!) and, no doubt, very much helped by the sun. I am also grateful for those friends and family who make an effort to keep in touch with me - I appreciate you!

By the way, answer is "irate".  Go on, you did at least smile a bit...

Cardiff Therapy

I went up to see Riona today for some motherly tlc (think it was from her to me?) plus lots of handy things that parents do like drive around and pay for things...

It was a prompt start as Riona's car needed a brake check and the garage wanted it delivered by 0900, which meant Riona favoured being collected about then. I didn't manage 0900, but 20 minutes after wasn't too shabby.  We happily rendezvoused in B&Q where I found her sitting on a garden swing reading a book (oh honestly) then we trundled off to a new beach she'd found, Ogmore-on-Sea.  

Once we'd had a little potter, and discovered a coffee shack, we popped up to Ogmore Castle, just to the north of the beach.  It is an interesting site and I was half expecting to see Wainwright easeled up to paint the rural peace he saw.  What he would have missed was the person falling into the river from trying to walk the slippery stepping stones (we tried not to laugh, but we did) and the stupid sheep bleating at each other.  A lamb would wander off 20 metres and the ewe would stand looking in the opposite direction and bleat forlornly or vice versa. 

We then headed back to Cardiff, getting stuck in traffic schlep caused by an M4 accident [Riona will be in A&E next year so receiving the outcomes of such things].  After lunch we strolled down to Cardiff Bay whereupon I organised the queue for the ice cream van - honestly, it was blocking the walkway and no-one else was doing it!  The Pier Head building is beautiful so we popped inside to have a look.  Gorgeous staircase and even more exciting to find a benchmark outside ;-)

We wandered over to the nature reserve then back to Riona's pad via the Welsh Cake shop with its extra special Ruth treat of gluten free ones.  By then we knew that Riona's car was fixed, so we hopped in my car and drove to the garage.  It was all working so well until Riona tapped her address into the Mazda's satnav and drove off in her Clio.  I didn't check the directions, but it became apparent after a while that the satnav didn't know Cardiff very well and, when Riona had tapped in her road, it had acknowledged that but then sent me on a direct course for the city centre.  I realised this when I drove past Cardiff Castle!  I tried to stop, but couldn't as everywhere is double yellows, and realised I couldn't ring her for directions as I'd left my phone in her flat, so I decide to follow signs for Cardiff Bay.  My sense of direction is pretty well tuned (fancy that) and I made it back with a 20 minute delay to see Riona standing waiting for me on the corner of her street.

I left her about 2015 and it didn't take me long to realise that the Mazda sat nat is hopeless in Cardiff, so I followed my nose (and signed for M4 East) and was soon trundling back. A swift trip home.  And, as ever, very happy memories. 

The Kindness of Strangers and the RAC

I went to Plymouth today to see my team and had to drive as the trains were non existent.  Coming back didn't go to plan as, about 1/3rd of the way back, the car misfired and an alarming warning popped up on the dashboard.  I considered ignoring it, after all the spanner was 'only' in amber, but the red words STOP were not easily ignorable.

Fortunately I was about 1 km from a fuel station so stopped at Shell South Brent service station and opened the car manual.  The handbook was telling me, very clearly, not to drive the car anywhere so I rang the RAC.  Once I was in their queue - it looked to be a 90 minute wait - I got myself organised.  I had coffee, water and two phones (both work and personal), a charger, and a laptop.   I had a magazine to read, toilets and a Costas machine in the service station.  I was sorted.

I stuck my head into the service station to tell them I was settling in for a while, and the lady was lovely saying it was a 24/7 station so I could stay all night.  It didn't look hopeful for fixing the car (said the RAC text which popped up on my phone).  But I had company in the form of a motorcyclist having a coffee break.  During our chat he asked me how far I had to go, "about 60 km," I responded. "Hmmm, you're not English are you?" he mused.  Admittedly I don't have a Devon accent but I was curious why he thought that, "it's just that you said kilometres," he answered!

I popped into the service station for the toilet and to grab a coffee which the lovely cashier wouldn't let me pay for ;-)  As I returned an RAC van had turned up.  He pointed out that he wasn't the van due to rescue me, but he was closer so popped over.  Then a couple of minutes later 'my' RAC van turned up so I had a double whammy of RAC assistance, and I only had an hour's wait. 

They diagnosed a misfiring cylinder (or so they think) and deemed me "probably OK' to drive home. 

 

 

However, to make sure I got back OK, I was shadowed by one of the guys all the way back to the Ottery turn off from the A303.  If I was losing power I'd have pulled off and he'd have moved onto his Plan B.  As it was, the car was a little edgy, and misfired a few times, but not so much that I needed to stop.  I'll certainly admit that when driving a slightly dodgy car, having an RAC van trailing you is certainly a great feeling!  I was mighty pleased to get back, though, and realise I'd been clenching my jaw all the way back.

Anyway, car is parked up and will only be going as far as the garage on its next outing.  I'm off to Cardiff tomorrow but fortunately I too have a Plan B in the form of JC's Mazda.  Thanks to everyone.

Coronation Blues

In the run up to the Coronation weekend I had a lovely visit from the Caitlin.  We played games (she won as expected) and had a scrummy lunch out in Sidmouth where she captured me wiping the table and looking exactly like my mother.  We had a super yummy roast supper - thank you KK.  

Thanks for the phone memories Caitlin!

JC left for Florida on Tuesday 02 May for a 3 week NATO trial.  I worked in my work office on Wednesday, and on Thursday was on full blown duty as Presiding Officer for one of the council polling stations.  I got there at 0615, did a full day and left at 2230 to drive the ballot box to the counting station.  I eventually dropped into bed at midnight.  

Friday 05 May I worked from home, did pilates and had a lovely supper out at friends.  Saturday was not so great.  In fact Sunday wasn't either.  And in fact Monday wasn't.  My brain decided that Ruth was no-go all weekend: the loneliness and depression kicked in fast and hard and it was all I could do on Monday to drive out to a nearby garden and view their azaleas.  Admittedly Metcombe does has have awesome azaleas and their fairy garden was cute too.

Because my brain had shut down on helping myself - when you have a depressive episode the last thing you do is ask people for help, it's like a mental paralytic attack and you go from functional to not even able to tell anyone you're sad - I avoided the tea gazebo and scuttled home.

Help was on hand by the fact that I knew I may be struggling (it's not as if depression is new for me) so I'd pre-committed to turning up in the council offices on Tuesday.  I dragged myself in and had a bit of a weep on a safe colleague.  Part of me thinks this is super embarrassing, and I told her so, but part of me knows it's not bad, as my brain is ill and I need support.  Once distracted by work I function like a lean mean professional machine, but it's the down time hours that floor me constantly.

So now I've a plan. This Saturday Cardiff calls. It actually calls earlier than I'd like (!) as Riona needs collecting from a garage at 0900: but we've a full day of fun before I head back, and Sunday is just a day so survivable.  The following weekend I have now booked a Totnes weekend plan including river cruise to Dartmouth and a steam train. As I said to JC the other day, I'll commit to something if I've paid in advance so after a Cardiff blog it'll be Totnes fest dear readers (reader).  Thank you for getting this far.  

Luxembourg - April 2023

JC and I spent nearly a week recently in Luxembourg visiting his parents.  We flew from Stansted and used my Dad's as a staging post to drop the car, stay over, and launch ourselves from.

Thursday 13 April

Well didn't South West Trains serve us well? After convincing JC that trains would be better than driving - OK, perhaps a tad more expensive but more environmentally friendly and not too much longer - SWT cancelled all trains to Waterloo!  They wouldn't even let us download our tickets from the ticket machine at Basingstoke, but I convinced them that we had a Plan B (involving Reading) and that they really should let us get our tickets and chase a train.  So we made it to Stansted Airport on time but it was more of a stress than it should have been.  

We made it over the Channel and JC's cousin collected us and delivered us to his parents.  Result.

Friday 14 - Saturday 15 April

Friday and Saturday involved lots of pottering around at JC's parent's house plus the odd trip to Cactus, the local supermarket. JC naturally helped his parents with bits and pieces whilst I occupied myself with puzzles and reading.  On Friday we went for a walk to Huncherange and enjoyed watching the trains pass, and on Saturday took ourselves out for another amble around local fields.

Sunday 16 April

JC disappeared with a Belgian today to photograph an abandoned site in Germany, so I took myself off to the City to explore an outdoor sculptures trail.  I was on the eastern edge of Luxembourg City, Kirchberg, the home of the EU institutions, Luxembourg financial institutions and an Olympic sized swimming pool.  It was a super easy tram ride up from the station - I do so love the free transport system of Luxembourg, not to mention the lovely stained glass in the station - and I started at the most north easterly point and headed south.

I walked through the Parc-Klose-Groendchen and spotted the granite boat and some funky wall art.

As there are many financial institutions it made sense to have a banker.  And I found a Luxembourg book bank - a lot posher than the British home-made versions!

Plenty of unusual buildings, creative architecture and sculptures to spot.

I even found a cow.

I walked down the route of the Roman road from Riems to Trier into Central Park where there were plenty more sculptures to see.

And a somewhat brutalist kiosk (sadly closed).

There was a brilliant play park here and I couldn't resist climbing on some of the wooden logs they had laid out.  This would have been fine if I hadn't slipped off (how embarrassing!) and bashed my hand and back, so I decided to call it a day and slink off for lunch at Snack in Joy.  Although vegan, it wasn't my favourite as it had a lot of mock-meat dishes - however there wasn't much else open on a Sunday.

Monday 17 April

Monday's highlights included a delicious meal out at La Celula, where I sat under a cow,

followed by an impromptu visit to Dudelange to pick up some shoes. We had a short amble around the town centre and I was pleased to find a benchmark on their Hôtel de Ville.

L'Église Saint Martin.

Tuesday 18 April

Today JC and I visited Luxembourg City for the afternoon and took a tour of the Pétrusse Casements, one of the two sets of underground passages in the city.  They run short 45 minute tours with small groups and a guide and we were able to book on an English tour.  

These defensive tunnels, built variously by the Spanish and Austrians, were actually never used in anger and were repurposed for varied activities such as mushroom growing and a spacious wine cellar.  They came in most handy during the Second World War as refuge from the overhead bombing.

We exited into the Parc de la Pétrusse (named after the river which flows through it) and discovered a church carved into the rocks which we'd never spotted before, the Chapel of Quirinus. 

As we walked back up into the city JC spotted two flood level markers.  Boy, big floods!

And back up in the Place d'Armes I found another you-know-what, on the Centre Municipal.   

We ate out with JC's friends that evening, in a new-to-us local Lebanese restaurant, Chiche!  This is a social enterprise, set in a house setting (so small rooms and less noise) with delicious food.  Win win.

Wednesday 19 April

Home day today.  Leaving Luxembourg via the airport wasn't a fun experience.  We decided that the airport likes to play mind games with their passengers.  First off we had to sit in a room waiting for the passport control to open, then, once shunted through that, we had to queue to get into the boarding gate area. Entry was controlled with priority passengers first, then others, and the priority passengers dutifully queued up against the exit ready to be first onto the plane.  Then the airport staff opened a door across the other side of the room and we all jumbled up onto buses.  By the time we got onto the plane there was no boarding order, people were getting onto the wrong end of the plane and it was all a bit not-great.  It's one of the few things that Luxembourg doesn't seem to excel at!

Once back in Stansted it wasn't much better as my passport didn't work in the eGates so I had to queue, with dozens of others in similar predicaments, for the 2 passport control officers to clear us into the UK.  Then it was 4 trains back to Basingstoke and a long awaited cup of tea!  A quick catch up with Dad, a drive home and an unpack and ready for work on Thursday.